Thunder Bay Guide

Getting around

Thunder Bay is far from everywhere else, and the distances shape every plan.

By road

The Trans-Canada Highway runs through the city. Winnipeg is roughly 700 kilometres to the west and Toronto about 1,400 kilometres to the southeast, so most road trips here are multi-day drives.

Services between towns can be far apart on northern stretches of highway. Fuel up whenever you have the chance rather than when you need to.

By air

Thunder Bay International Airport, on the western side of the city, has regular flights to larger Canadian hubs and to smaller communities across the north that have no year-round road access.

Winter

Snow and ice can close or slow highways, and wildlife on the road is common at dusk. Winter tires, an emergency kit and checking Ontario road reports before leaving are ordinary precautions here, not extras.